It is very important to know about wind energy pros and cons to decide whether to turn to wind energy as your main source of energy or not. Basically wind is provided by nature and therefore we can say that wind energy is inexhaustible. This type of renewable energy has gain a lot of attention especially due to the environmental effects associated with other forms of energy. With the side effects of wind energy being minimal, many people are starting to turn to it. They are investing all that they have to turn wind into their main source of energy.
Wind energy is not only being used by many homeowners. Manufacturing companies are also adopting this kind of energy. Wind energy is rapidly becoming the best alternative form of energy all over the world. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy so you can decide if this energy source is right for you.
Pros of wind energy
Wind power is unlimited and available in most places: there are strategic places like shorelines, plain areas with no obstructions or on hilly places where the wind speeds are very high. When larger turbines are located at these places, more wind power can be collected and transformed into more energy that will be available all the time and can serve many people.
Wind energy does not cause any pollution because it is not radioactive and does not produce any radioactive waste.
Wind energy is a renewable energy and therefore it is environmental friendly.
Wind energy is permanent. Unlike other sources of energy which are produced from non-renewable sources like coal, natural gas, etc which can be exhausted, wind will always be there so wind energy will always exist.
Wind energy is cost friendly. With modernized technologies being incorporated into the production of wind energy, its cost has greatly reduced. One big factor in the low cost is the source material, which is wind, is free.
Wind energy is readily available and large turbines can be installed for large scale production of energy in large open fields whereas smaller turbines can be used to power individual homesteads. Therefore, wind energy can serve both commercial and residential purposes.
Cons of wind energy
Despite the several advantages of wind energy, it also has its cons including:
Wind energy can be seasonal: wind blows with different speeds at different times of the year and therefore during low speeds, backup energy might be needed. These backup energy sources may be expensive to manage. This is a concern where the wind supply may not always be consistent.
When there are strong winds, the windmills can be damaged and therefore forced to be repaired or replaced. This can be very expensive because you never know when storms with strong winds may occur.
The turbines may make some noise, especially when the flow of wind is low.
Many turbines placed together can also affect network signals and can have a negative impact on the scenery.
There are also some incidences of birds getting into the turbines thus damaging the turbines and affecting the supply of wind energy.
Therefore, you need to weigh the pros and cons of wind energy and make informed decisions on whether to adopt wind energy as your main source of power. However based on the pros and cons of wind energy, this renewable energy looks like it will be a big step in our future of alternative power sources.
